Anyone sailing with BC Ferries this long weekend has been warned to expect delays and waits but this was something different.
Passengers on the 7:30 p.m. ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay report that crew had to find 21 volunteers to disembark after they wound up above the maximum of 1029.
“Oh my. First time in my 47yrs on the coast that I’ve had to wait for an overloaded ferry to find 21 volunteers to deboard. Past 1029 max cap,” wrote News 1130’s Mike Lloyd on Twitter.
Oh my. First time in my 47yrs on the coast that I've had to wait for an overloaded ferry to find 21 volunteers to deboard. Past 1029 max cap
— Mike Lloyd (@llikemoyd) October 7, 2017
“There is a first for everything. Oversold the ferry, now looking for 20 people to voluntarily leave. We are now 30 mins delayed,” Austin Woodward tweeted.
.@BCFerries there is a first for everything. Oversold the ferry, now looking for 20 people to voluntarily leave. We are now 30 mins delayed
— Austin Woodward (@VancityAustin) October 7, 2017
The reason?
BC Ferries responded by saying that an error saw 21 tickets issued for the Queen of Oak Bay at 7:30 p.m. instead of the Queen of Coquitlam that is regularly scheduled to depart from Horseshoe Bay at 8:15 p.m.
21 pass. tix shldve been ticked for Qn.Coq. wre ticktd for Qn.OakBay in error. For Safety pas. askd to transfer to Qn.Coq.^bc
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) October 7, 2017
At last check, the Queen of Oak Bay was operating 35 minutes behind schedule.
The Thanksgiving long weekend is traditionally one of the busiest times of the for BC Ferries.
Ben O'Hara
